The present teachings are predicated upon providing a temperature controlled device (e.g., a heating and/or cooling system) where the rate at which the heating device provides heat and/or cooling to a user is improved. Generally, a heating system and/or heating and cooling systems for providing thermal comfort to a vehicle seat include a heater and/or fan. Typically, these heaters are resistive heaters installed within the vehicle seat. Some non-limiting examples of resistive heaters that are employed are a lay wire heater, a positive temperature coefficient heater (PTC); carbon strands; carbon sheets; sheets and/or strands including carbon, nickel, or both; or any other type of heating system that becomes hot when energy is applied. However, these heaters, when cold, take time to: become hot, heat the surrounding elements, penetrate one or more layers, or a combination of these so that an occupant feels heat from the heater or when the cooling devices are hot take time to provide cooling. The time it takes for an occupant to experience warmth increases as the ambient temperature of the heater, the seat, the air, or a combination thereof, before the heater is turned on, become colder or conversely the time it takes for an occupant to experience cooling increases as the ambient temperature of the cooling device, the seat, the air, or a combination thereof, before the cooling device is turned on, become hotter. Existing systems have a ramp up from the time they are turned on until an occupant experiences an increase in heating and/or cooling. For occupants with a drive of only a few miles the vehicle seat may not even become warm and/or cool by the time the occupant reaches their desired location. Notwithstanding what exists today, car manufacturers and vehicle owners continue to seek heated seats that heat up faster and cooling seats that cool faster.
It would be attractive to have a heating system that rapidly heats up and/or a cooling system that rapidly cools so that a user experiences a temperature change shortly after the heater is turned on. It would be attractive to have a heating device and/or cooling device that reaches 70 percent of its maximum temperature in 60 seconds or less. Examples of attempts to boost power may found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,849,611; 5,369,247; 6,914,217; 7,615,879; and 7,801,661 all of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
What is needed is a temperature controlled device that rapidly reaches a temperature where the user experiences a heating and/or cooling sensation. What is further needed is a heating system that rapidly heats up while monitoring the temperature of the heater so that the heater is not damaged due to the rapid heating. It would be attractive to have a temperature controlled device that reaches 70 percent of its maximum temperature in 60 seconds or less, preferably 85 percent of its maximum temperature in 60 seconds or less, more preferably about 100 percent or more of its maximum temperature in 60 seconds or less.